The Pleasures of Familial Bonds
by estie793
Summary: A series of ficlets and snapshots into the lives of Anna and Elsa after the Thaw. Mostly Elsa centric. I own nothing.
1. Snuggle

**A/N: So. I finally saw Frozen. And my little muse has been very generous and already provided me with some little snippets of what life might have been like for the two lovely girls after the events we were shown in the movie. This is the first one I was able to write. These little shots will not be in chronological order, and will probably be mostly Elsa centric. She is incredibly fascinating, don't you think?**

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Elsa would not hesitate to say that it had been the worst day of her entire life. Losing her parents had been awful. She had never felt more alone and isolated than when they had died. But the events of this day surpassed that.

Though everything had turned out to be alright in more ways than one, losing Anna had truly devastated the elder sister. Anna was the person Elsa loved more than anyone, than anything, in the entire world. She was the only family left. And the idea that sweet, beautiful Anna, the only spot of light and love in Elsa's life was gone… It was too much. And knowing that _she_ had been the one to take away that ray of sunshine from the world made it even worse.

But then… Then! Anna was not dead! She was alive, and she had shown Elsa how very loved she truly was. The understanding of how to control her powers followed immediately after that, and Elsa wondered how she could be such a fool for the first twenty-one years of her life. Of course it made sense that love would temper and balance the icy magic inside of her, just as fear had made it uncontrollable.

She had gone to bed that night much happier than she had been since she was little. She had fallen asleep quickly, and no nightmares haunted her.

That was why she was so confused when she found herself being awakened in the middle of the night. She opened her eyes and tried to shake the cobwebs of sleep out of her mind to process what was happening. When she turned to the movement and noise that had drawn her from sleep, she saw that Anna had crawled into her bed.

"What are you doing?" she asked, groggily.

Anna looked sheepishly down at the sheets. "I couldn't sleep. I… I just wanted to be with you, Elsa. I've just missed you so much. You were gone for so long and I just… I need to be near you right now. Is that okay? I'll sleep on the floor if you don't want to share the bed, but…"

Before she could say another word, Elsa rolled over and hugged her close, snuggling the way they used to on cold nights in the castle. "I love you, Anna," she whispered.

Neither of the girls slept that night. Instead, they spent the hours talking, laughing, trying to make up for years lost in one night. They were being sisters again. And Elsa couldn't help but hope that the feeling of happiness and warmth that seemed to start in her stomach and spread to every other part of her would be something she felt more often.

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**A/N: I would appreciate reviews. I thank you so much for your time, dear reader. It is much appreciated. **


	2. Second Blessings

**A/N: So, here is another one. Because I am bored. I don't have much to say about this one. However, I would like to thank the couple of you that favorited and followed this story. I would love it if you would leave me some reviews though. Constructive criticism is always something I like getting. **

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Elsa and Anna had made a promise that at least once a week, they would spend some uninterrupted sister time together. Some weeks it was more difficult than others, but Anna was determined that it would happen today. Even if it did have to be in her sister's office instead of outside where they normally met.

Anna didn't bother knocking when she came to the stately double doors, she just charged in, anxious to talk to her sister.

"Elsa, I need to talk to you about Kristo…" the name died on her tongue instantly when she saw that Elsa wasn't alone. There were two other men in the room, and they looked most annoyed that Anna had barged in on them like that. "Oops! Sorry."

Elsa calmly stood up, placing her hands down on the dark mahogany desk, giving the two men a gentle smile. "Gentlemen, I beg your pardon. I had forgotten that I promised Princess Anna some of my time today. Shall we convene two days from now?" Though her tone had been polite, it left no room for argument, and the two older men grudgingly agreed and left the office. As soon as they were gone, Anna took one of the seats that they vacated as Elsa called one of the servants to bring them tea.

Turning to look at her sister, Elsa had to smile. Anna was sitting on her hands, practically bouncing up and down with energy and excitement.

"So you needed to talk to me about…"

"Kristoff!" Anna cut her off, and Elsa laughed. "Yes! Elsa, I know last time I told you I was in love with someone it really didn't go so well, but this time, I really think I do love him."

"Why do you think that?" the eldest wondered, taking the seat beside Anna instead of the one behind her desk. She loved being with Anna. She loved talking to her, having tea with her, even watching the young redhead get excited brought such joy.

"Because I want him to be happy. I don't even care about my happiness anymore, I just want him to be happy. And when he is happy, it makes me happy. And I know he feels the same way about me. He is _such_ a gentleman about _everything._ Sometimes it's a little annoying because I just want to do things on my own, you know? But then I let him help me out of the carriage or open doors for me, and he doesn't do it because he thinks I can't, or I'm weaker than him, he just does it to be nice. He's just…. So nice."

"Are you going to ask for my blessing for your marriage?"

Anna blushed and pulled the end of one of her braids into her hand so she could twirl it around her finger. "Not yet," she confessed.

"Good girl. I don't want you rushing into things again." She saw the look of shame that passed her sister's face. "But Anna," she continued. "This time, I'll say yes."

The look on Anna's face brightened the room, and she launched out of her chair to hug her sister. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

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**A/N: So. There is the second one. Let me know what you think? Thank you so much for your time, reader.**


	3. Consummation

**A/N: Okay, so I am publishing these as I write them. This one was something I thought of watching Anna and Kristoff. It mad me wonder what physical touch would be like for Elsa. Hence... this one. Please, please review? I don't want to sound like I am whining, but I really want to know what any of you who are reading think of this.**

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It had taken time, but Elsa had gotten used to touching again. It had started with Anna. Her sister touched her all the time. Physical contact was so _easy_ with her. Then Kristoff became the next person she was comfortable touching, even if it never was more than a quick hug or a touch on the shoulder. But this… this was far different from the way that anyone had touched her before.

She knew what was to happen. While she had isolated herself from the world, she had been educated and read a great deal. She knew what was to happen on a wedding night. But that didn't stop her from being terrified of it.

_You don't have any reason to be scared of him. He loves you. And he isn't afraid. Relax, Elsa,_ she thought to herself. _Relax._

As if he could sense her thoughts, Olan placed his hands on either side of her neck and whispered, "It's alright, Elsa. Don't be afraid. We'll go slowly."

Her hands rested on his chest and she lifted her head to look at him. She was met with a kiss, and let herself give in to it. She was not afraid of this. They had kissed before. Many times, actually. It had taken Olan a very long time to convince her to marry him, but she knew she would never love anyone else the way she loved him.

When he suddenly moved from kissing her lips to her neck though, she gasped. She knew that her hands must have grown colder because he stopped and looked at her with concern. But he did not move her hands away from his chest. When she realized one of them was resting almost directly over his heart, she pulled away as if she had been burned.

"Elsa…"

"No!" she cried, feeling some of the panic she had experienced before she learned to control her power. She retreated to a corner of the room, as far from her new husband as she could get. "I'll hurt you."

He approached her boldly, with no fear. And not for the first time, she thought it was odd that it calmed her. "I love you. I'm not afraid of you, and I know you won't hurt me." He took her back into his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head.

Elsa let herself relax in his embrace. She took a deep, measured breath in through her nose and slowly let it out. "I won't hurt you." It was said more to herself than to Olan, but there was still some uncertainty in her voice, and she knew her husband had picked up on it.

He pulled back from her just a little so he could look her in the eye. "Elsa, sweetheart, we don't have to do this tonight. We can just curl up together and go to sleep. Would that be alright with you?"

His desire to put her wellbeing before his needs filled her with emotion and she felt tears prick her eyes. He was so caring. "I want to, but I'm just scared. I… I'm not used to…" She felt his hand on the back of her head, pressing it to his chest once again.

"Shh, shh… I know. Darling, it won't upset me at all. I want you to be able to enjoy this. So we will wait until you're ready. Let's just go to bed, alright?"

She shook her head. "No. I want this. I'm ready. Just… let's go slowly."

"If you're sure."

Nodding, she smiled a bit before taking his hand. "I'm sure. May… May I hold your hand? I think it will help me."

"Anything you need, sweetheart."

He was gentle, he was patient, he was more loving than she could have imagined. She stayed awake longer than him just watching him breathe and listening to his heartbeat. He was amazing, and she was so glad she had let him express his love for her physically.

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**A/N: I know Elsa would have much less of an issue with the fear of her powers and herself at this point. But I also think it is normal and natural for her to relapse sometimes. Nothing is every truly happily ever after, and that fear is something she will have to deal with for the rest of her life, love from her family or not. Again, thank you for your time, dear reader. **


	4. Silk

**A/N: I know there are people reading, despite the lack of response. So here is another one.**

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Flitting fingers passed over the cool colors that made up the wardrobe, unable to make a decision. Blues, purples, grays, they all seemed wrong for tonight's ball. But the one her eyes kept travelling to, well… that one was simply too… different. She knew it would garner attention, and that was not anything she wanted tonight. Tonight was about Anna. It was her nineteenth birthday. The day was supposed to be all about the princess. It would be wrong to take away from that, wouldn't it?

But Elsa wanted to wear it. It was bright and beautiful and symbolic of the changes that had taken place inside her over the last months. She decided that she would try it on. Just to see how it looked. She wouldn't wear it to the party, but she would try it on.

When she had pushed the last button through the hole in the back, she turned to look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes widened a bit, unused to the combination of colors before her. Blue was such a natural thing for her to want to wear. She always chose cold colors. This was the opposite.

She was shaken out of her thoughts by Anna's unmistakable knock at the door. "Can I come in?" she asked.

Elsa gave her consent, still too shocked to look away from the mirror. She heard Anna enter though, and knew she was just as surprised when a small, "Whoa," came from her mouth.

Elsa finally turned and looked at her sister. "Don't worry, I'm not going to wear it. For some reason I just wanted to try it on."

Anna smiled and shook her head, coming over to her sister and taking her hands. "Elsa… you look beautiful. I love the ruffles! Won't you please wear it?"

Elsa's eyebrows came together, slightly confused. "You want me to wear it? But it's so… different."

"It's just red. And it looks lovely on you. It's very Elsa-ish in a different way than most of your other dresses." Cooking her head to one side, Elsa asked what Anna meant. "Well, you have made yourself known for wearing things that are a bit more… sensual than what might be considered proper for the queen. But no one really minds because you are still regal and modest while doing it."

Elsa understood now. It was true. Since coming back to Arendelle, she had been wearing things different from the conventional garb. She hadn't thought much of it though, because no one mentioned anything to her. Anna, however, had not ever deviated from wearing what was considered normal. Even her dress tonight for her nineteenth birthday spoke of nothing but innocence and youth. She looked beautiful, but very much like a little girl.

"Would you like to wear something similar? Nothing drastic, just something older and more mature than that dress."

"You don't like it?" Anna cried, hurt in her voice.

Elsa immediately regretted bringing it up. "No, it's lovely! And you look lovely. But you look little, not at all like the young woman I know you are."

Anna smoothed the wide skirt, knowing Elsa was right. "Well… can we find something else before the party starts?"

"Let's see what we can do."

And so, together, they raided Anna's closet, searching it from top to bottom until Elsa came across a dress she knew would be perfect. Green and black, form fitting, but not overly tight with intricate lace work around the front. She helped Anna to slip the silk over her head and fastened all the buttons for her. Now it was Elsa's turn to mutter a soft, "Whoa," at seeing her sister in something so beautiful.

"Do you… do you think Kristoff will like it?" Anna asked uncertainly, still staring at the unfamiliar woman in the mirror before her. Elsa could only laugh.

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**A/N: The dresses are on the Pinterest account I created for this story. I have a feeling I may use it often. The board is the same as the story title, and my name is Stella Eisley. Thank you for your time, reader. **


	5. Control

**A/N: So, I'll stop complaining now and thank you for the follows and favorites. :)**

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"You can do it!"

Elsa wasn't so sure. There was no doubt that her control had increased greatly, but she was still a little bit frightened of herself sometimes. She clenched her fists, the relaxed them, rolling her fingers a bit. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath before opening them again.

Anna was there by her side, and then Elsa felt her hand being held. She turned to her sister and found an encouraging smile there. "Don't be afraid. I know you can do it," she said.

Nodding, Elsa took one more breath before thrusting her hands forward, covering the library in a layer of fluffy whiteness. Controlling how much and where she placed the snow and ice was simple, and once she learned it, she knew it would never be a problem again. That was not the difficult part though. Making sure that it would go away and not leave any damage was the problem.

The only time she had ever done it successfully was the very first time, when she had taken away the winter and let summer have its reign again. She was sure that it had only been because of the huge well of emotions coursing through at that point though, and didn't know if doing it again would ever be possible. But Anna was confident, and that helped immensely.

Every day for weeks, the princess had dragged the queen outside to try again, and again, and again. To practice. All Elsa seemed capable of was melting the snow and ice, leaving the ground wet and muddy. Sometimes, when discouraged, she couldn't even manage that. The younger sister never gave up hope though, always excited with whatever change Elsa was able to produce.

Elsa didn't think she would ever forget the day she had first been able to make it go away completely. It hadn't been much, just a few inches of packed snow over the grass and flowers in the garden. She thawed it, then was sure she could see steam rising into the air.

"Anna…"

Anna ran over to where the snow had been and felt the grass. "It's dry! You did it! It's dry!" Laughing in celebration, she practically danced back over to Elsa. "Do it again," she demanded.

And Elsa had. Many times.

Soon after that she was able to make larger amounts of snow disappear. After that was perfected, she turned her attention to ice. Then, she had moved onto objects instead of the gardens. This was much more difficult for her, and Anna couldn't understand why.

"Because if I can't do it, there is a possibility it will be ruined or hurt. There is more pressure to do it perfectly."

But still, Anna had demanded practice. And so they practiced. Anna always seemed to have much more confidence in Elsa's ability to clear the frozen magic than Elsa herself did. That was why they found themselves in the library now.

"Love will thaw…" Elsa whispered to herself. Gracing her mind were thoughts of Anna, her parents, Olaf, and even Kristoff and Sven. Warmth spread all through her, and her eyes slipped closed as she enjoyed the feeling of freedom it brought her. Anna's joyous laugh brought her back to reality, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the entire library looking as though nothing had happened. She almost squealed like Anna did when she was excited.

"I… I actually did it."

"I knew you could," cried Anna, tackling her sister in one of the biggest hugs she had ever given.

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**A/N: Thanks once again for your time, dear reader. **


	6. Intimidate

**A/N: Thank you to Where Butterflies Never Die for your review!**

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It had been two weeks since the thaw, and tonight, the castle was throwing a grand ball to celebrate Elsa's coronation properly, since things had gone awry last time.

Elsa though, had her mind far away from balls and formalities. She knew Anna was getting a final fitting for her gown, so she would not have a whole lot of time to get this done. She would have to be quick. That was alright though, she knew she wouldn't need long.

As she walked out of the castle and over to the stables, she felt again the remarkable sense of liberation that followed. She wasn't afraid to be outside of her bedroom, the place that had felt more like a prison than anything. She had moved her bedroom when she came back, never wanting to set foot inside the four walls that held her captive for so long again.

But now she was off to the stables just off of the castle grounds. Anna had begged Kristoff to move Sven there, so it would be easier for her to visit her reindeer friend.

Kristoff had scarcely left Anna's side since the thaw, and it certainly hadn't escaped Elsa's notice. She knew that Anna was being cautious this time, having been burned and hurt by Hans, but Elsa liked Kristoff, and approved of the way Anna was going about things this time. However, she still felt the need to talk to Kristoff about her sister. She was hoping to find him at the stables. That is where he always said he was going on the rare occasion he left Anna.

And indeed, she saw him there in the stable yard, a straw bale in his arms. When he caught sight of her, he dropped it and bowed a bit.

"My Queen," he said.

Elsa smirked. Perhaps later she would correct him and ask to be called by her first name. For the moment though, she would use whatever she could to increase the intimidation factor. If the formality did that, she certainly would not object.

"Hello, Kristoff. Are you on your way to feed Sven?"

"Uh, I just finished cleaning his stall… actually. I was uh… just putting fresh bedding down for him."

"I would like to see him."

"Of course! Yeah, um… he's just… he's right in here."

He opened the door for her and she gave a small nod acknowledging her thanks to him, and walked to the stall containing the overexcited reindeer. She greeted him with a smile and a small scratch between the eyes, watching and Kristoff began scattering the hay around the bottom of the stall.

"I have a very beautiful sister, don't I, Kristoff?"

The young man's head snapped up to look at his queen. "Yes?" The word was said with a tone that meant it was a question. He was unsure what the correct response to her statement was. Good. That was exactly how Elsa wanted things. She had thought over this conversation for several days now. One of the questions she had ruled out early in her planning was,

"What do you like about my sister." She knew the only response that would satisfy her would be something akin to,

"I worship the ground she walks on. She is the only good thing in my otherwise miserable existence." And it was unlikely than anyone would give that answer. Even a man who was as good as Kristoff seemed. So instead, she opted for the more subtle beginning.

"Do you know what else I've got, Kristoff?"

"What?"

"A very nice collection of knives and daggers. I've brought one with me. Would you like to see it?" She didn't wait for his response before pulling it out of its sheath that she had fastened around her waist. The handle was ornate, but the blade itself was simple, made of steel. Elsa almost laughed when she saw the way Kristoff's eyes widened. Sven even took a step back. "And in addition to this, I have a shovel, and a little isolated spot in the garden that would be perfect to hide a body in. I like you, so don't make me do that." She carefully placed the dagger back into its sheath and smiled. "If you treat her in anyway that is less than honorable…" she left the threat unfinished.

"Your Majesty, I would never, ever do anything to intentionally hurt Anna."

"Good. I'll be watching to make sure of it though."

That night at the ball, Elsa did keep an eye on him, sneaking smiles and laughs when he wasn't looking. Her threats were empty, but she wanted to make sure her sister wasn't unnecessarily hurt again.

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**A/N: So... My brother may or may not have done something similar to this to my husband before we were married. Thank you for your time, dear reader.**


	7. Olan

**A/N: And now, we are introduced to Olan. I'm not going to lie. I was really, really lazy in writing this chapter, so it kind of stinks. I bought into the whole "Rapunzel is their cousin" thing to make it easier on myself. So, I humbly ask for your apologies and forgiveness for this chapter, but it was one that had to be written. Thank you to my dear cousin Rachel, TheEpicDuck123, and BG-13 for the reviews! I appreciate them so much, and they make me want to publish faster.**

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Anna and Kristoff's engagement ball was an event to remember. The entire kingdom was invited, as well as countless guests from outside of Arendelle. But there was no question of who was catching all of the attention tonight. Anna looked beautiful. The gown she had chosen was off white, all flowers and delicate lace with a simple ribbon tied around the waist. She was doing wonderfully accepting congratulations, even managing to be friendly to those who were not as kind to Kristoff.

Elsa was soon swept up in the duties that come with being Queen though, as she played diplomat to some ambassadors from the Southern Isles. The two kingdoms had not been getting along well since the Hans debacle, and Elsa was ready to smooth it over. She was getting nowhere with the two young men though, and just when she was starting to feel a bit exasperated, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see a man behind her. He was almost her exact opposite physically. Straight hair that was so dark it was almost black, deep brown eyes, and tanned skin that spoke of a love for all things out of doors.

"May I trouble you for a dance, Your Highness?"

She allowed him to take her hand a place a respectful kiss there, but declined his request. "I'm sorry, but I don't dance."

He took it in stride. "Of course." He stepped closer to her and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "But won't you let me rescue you from these impolite gentlemen?" He bowed and offered his hand. Not knowing exactly why, Elsa took it, and he led her across the floor. When they had reached the opposite side of the dance floor, he beckoned a servant with a tray of wine glasses and handed one to her. "The Princess looks lovely tonight, don't you think?"

Elsa's blue eyes sought out her sister at once. "Yes, she does. She always does."

"I am inclined to agree, but if you don't mind my saying so, the princess cannot compare to you."

Elsa felt heat rising in her cheeks at the compliment. "Well, thank you…"

"Olan," he supplied.

Now she was embarrassed. She should have known who this gentleman was immediately. Though they had never met before, he was from Corona, where some of Elsa's relatives lived and ruled. Her cousin Rapunzel had sent a letter with her regrets that neither she, nor her parents would be able to attend the ball, but would send a representative, a political advisor to her father.

"Oh, of course! Rapunzel wrote to me telling me you were coming! Do you know how the last term of her pregnancy is going?"

"Well, I don't know a lot about how things are supposed to go, but the Princess is glowing. She is excited."

"I'm excited for her. Arendelle is glad to have you, Olan."

"And the Queen? Is she glad to have me?"

Elsa smiled. "Yes, I'm very glad to have you as well."

The pair stood in a somewhat awkward silence for a moment before one of Elsa's advisors approached. "Your Majesty, I don't believe you have met my daughter…" The elderly man led the Queen away from the visitor, but Elsa cast a glance back over her shoulder towards him. He smiled, accepting her silent apology.

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**A/N: Thank you so much for your time, dear reader.**


	8. The Snow Queen

**A/N: I have not been having a good week. Sigh... ): Ah, well. I shan't bore you with my complaints. I'll only apologize for how bad this chapter is, and tell you that I am so, so thankful for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. You have been more than kind to me, and it is appreciated. **

**So now we get to see how Olan ended up at the engagement ball instead of Rapunzel and Eugene. It's awful. I'm sorry. I just... I can't write guys. I can't. But in order to write some better chapters for you guys, I think my brain needed to at least get this one out of the way. I am working on one right now that I like much better than this, and hopefully I will have that up sometime tomorrow or Saturday.**

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Olan had never seen a woman like the one in the portrait. At least, never a royal woman like the one in the portrait. It was a gift from the King and Queen's niece, now the Queen of her own domain.

There was no point in saying that she was beautiful. It didn't need saying. Her posture spoke of elegance and confidence. Her hair, worn so unconventionally, in a braid that hung over her shoulder, called attention to the curves of her face and neck. The lips curled upward in a smile that was gentle, but commanded respect. One of her eyebrows was arched slightly higher than the other in the picture, as if she were amused by something behind the artist. And her eyes... he guessed that they were much more emotion filled than what the artist had been able to portray.

Yes, this was Queen Elsa. And Olan had quite fallen in love with the idea of her. The portrait only helped things along.

He had been fascinated with the stories about her that Princess Rapunzel and Prince Eugene had brought back from their visit to the Queen's coronation a few months ago.

Rumors had spread quickly, and one of the first to reach Corona was that the Queen was a witch who had cursed the land. Rapunzel and Eugene had been stuck there longer than their intended visit because of the ice. But when they did come back, they dispelled all the rumors immediately, assuring everyone that none of it had been Elsa's fault.

That was when he first knew he wanted to meet her. He wanted to know how someone could keep such an extraordinary secret like that for so long. It appeared that not even the Queen's sister had known! Olan thought she must be an amazing person. Who else but an amazing person could carry the weight of something like that alone for as long as Queen Elsa had?

For now though, the closest he could get was her portrait, and he made himself content with that. He had been sneaking back to the room where it was kept in his spare time, hoping no one would notice. But the Princess, however naïve, was observant.

One day, when he came into the small side room, he found her waiting for him. She was looking at the painting, one hand on her very swollen belly while the other rested on her lower back, attempting to ease some of the discomfort there.

"You know," she began. "I've read stories, seen plays, and watched ballets where a man falls in love with a girl he just met. I've even seen a ballet where a man fell in love with a swan. But a painting… that's a new one!"

"Well, she is very beautiful. But I don't think I'd say I'm in love with her. She is just… very interesting. I'd like to meet her someday."

The Princess turned to him, smiling. "I thought you might."

"Princess?" he questioned.

"Eugene and I have just received an invitation to Princess Anna's engagement ball, but I don't think we'll be able to go since this baby is about to come any day. You wouldn't happen to know of anyone who would volunteer to represent us there, would you?"

"I would gladly accept the honor." He bowed and smiled slightly, thrilled to think he would be going to Arendelle to meet the Queen in a matter of weeks.

"I'll let Elsa know you'll be coming."

"Thank you."

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**A/N: Thank you so much for your patience and time, dear reader.**


	9. Cage

**A/N: Here is another chapter to apologize for the annoyingly long wait you guys had. Thank you for the follows! **

**I am going to have to go back and edit a few things in chapter four in order to make this one fit, but I watched a deleted scene from the movie in which the girls shared a closet, and that is what gave me the idea for this one. It's meant to take place right before chapter one: Snuggle.**

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She never thought she would be back here, in the castle. When she had run away, she had meant for it to be permanent. Anna wouldn't stand for that though, and so here she was again, back in the castle. She had thawed away the icy magic that she had accidentally cast over Arendelle and promised her sister she would never push her away again.

Now, it was late, and she was tired, and she was standing in front of the doors that Anna had so often knocked on when they were children. Doors that meant a cage, a prison, and hiding who she was. She had spent so much time in that room experiencing so many emotions that she didn't want to feel again. She had sobbed for her lost relationship with her sister behind that door. She had cried because she missed hugs from her parents, but was too afraid to give them. She had spent time fuming because her parents had isolated her from everyone and everything. She spent hours repenting for those feelings of anger, and asking whatever higher power there might be why she was cursed.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" one of her attendants asked.

"No… No, I'm not. I need Anna. Please, go get Anna."

He rushed off to fetch the Princess who had long since gone to bed. When she came out of her room, it was clear that she hadn't been asleep.

"Elsa, what is it? What's wrong?"

The older girl shook her head. "I'm not sure. I'm sorry. You can go back to bed."

Anna stepped closer and wrapped Elsa up tight in her arms. "You don't want to sleep in that room anymore."

So relieved that Anna understood without her having to say anything, Elsa let one tear slip from her eyes before nodding and squeezing Anna back, equally as tight. "I don't ever want to sleep in that room again. It is filled with such awful memories and nightmares and… I just can't. You helped me finally get out of that cage and I won't go back. I can't."

"You can move into the room next to mine," Anna whispered the suggestion, still slightly hesitant. She pulled away and alternated her gaze between her sister and the floor as she spoke. "There's um… there's a door that joins them. And a shared closet."

"Yes," Elsa exclaimed firmly. "That will be my new room." Anna looked up and smiled, taking Elsa's hands. The servants and attendants scurried off to make the room fit for their Queen. It took surprisingly little time to have things moved and arranged so that the room was to Elsa's liking. Details didn't need to be fussed over tonight, and everyone knew it.

Elsa and Anna bid each other goodnight and then closed the door that joined the rooms before Elsa climbed into bed, finally feeling like she would be able to sleep. She stretched out under the sheets, thinking about how lucky she was to have a sister like Anna. Anna would help her make things better. Anna would show her what it was like to be loved again.

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**A/N: Thank you so much for the time you give to me and this story, dear reader.**


	10. Baby

**A/N: I'm sorry. I just... I'm so sorry. There have been several things going on lately. First, this was supposed to be up on Saturday, but my husband surprised me with tickets to Phantom of the Opera. Then, I got very sick, and we were very concerned about my unborn baby. She is fine, by the way, and so am I. (: **

**No more of my rambling. Here is the chapter.**

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Anna had said something, Elsa was sure. But she didn't hear her due to the distraction in front of her. It… no, he, was so small. Anna kept saying he was beautiful, but Elsa couldn't help but think that if she wasn't required to think he was beautiful, she would have said he was strange looking. His face was very squished up, and he wasn't really the right color that a person should be. There were more redish and purpleish colors than there should have been.

She couldn't remember how Anna had looked when she was born, but surely not like this little one. She didn't remember much about when Anna had been born though. Mostly just her mother's screams and being hurried away by her nurse.

Anna had initially asked that Elsa be present for the birth, but she had declined, saying Kristoff should be there instead. She didn't have to tell Anna that the idea scared her a bit. Elsa was a million times better than she used to be about controlling her powers. But there were still some times when she would lose control and frost would cover a wall, or a few flakes of snow would begin to fall around her. She didn't want to risk being upset by seeing Anna in pain and do something that could hurt her or the baby.

So instead, she had paced up and down hallways, written a letter to Olan, and nervously waited for news that the child had arrived.

"Elsa!" Anna's laughing voice cut through her thoughts and brought her back to reality.

"Huh? Yes?"

"I asked if you wanted to hold him."

Elsa's eyes widened. Why did that seem like such a strange thing to her ears? She knew that people held babies. It happened all the time. People were supposed to hold babies, even if they weren't their own. But for some reason, Anna asking her to hold her newborn son, just hours old, shocked Elsa. She fought back the urge to ask if Anna was afraid that she would accidentally hurt the baby, but it was difficult. What if her hands suddenly got very cold? Sometimes they still did that when she was nervous or scared, and babies needed to stay very warm, didn't they? What if she dropped him, or didn't hold him the right way? What if he cried?

Before she could actually voice any of these concerns though, Kristoff was placing the baby in her arms. She was grateful he had taken time to wrap him up in a blanket. It alleviated some of her fears, irrational though they may have been.

"Hold his head up like this," he said, adjusting her arm so the baby's head was supported. "Say hi, Erik. This is your Auntie Elsa." Elsa marveled at this new side of Kristoff. His voice was never this gentle, not even for Anna. But she didn't have much more time to think of him, because now she was realizing just how amazing this baby really was. She had reached up to touch his tiny fist, and before she pulled it away, he grabbed hold of her finger, wrapping his entire hand around it. For as little as he was, Elsa was amazed at the grip he had! She had no desire to move her finger from his though.

She watched in silence as his little lips moved in his sleep, like he was sucking a bottle. How was it that someone could be so new to the world, and yet already understand how to suck to get food, and how to grab hold of someone who loved him? Suddenly, Elsa thought she might understand a little bit why Anna thought Erik was beautiful.

"He's perfect," she whispered. Anna and Kristoff hummed their agreement, both tired from the long night that had been Anna's labor. Elsa pulled Erik a little closer, propping his head up a little higher, and kissed his brow. She knew this child would grow up with no lack of love in his life.

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**A/N: Thank you so much for your time, dear reader. **


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